The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-09
THE MEMORIAL.

In another place of this issue of THE
HERALD appears the memorial to Con-
gress adopted on Saturday by the Con-
stitutienal Convention. 1t is paper to
which we are glad to direct attention
and ask a personal perusal. 1t Is such
a document as honest, earnest men
might be expected to prepare for the
occasion, being a plain, frank, manly
statement of the reasons which Utah
presents for asking admission to the
Union. There is no humiliation in the
appeal, nor has anything been over
drawn or misstated. The showing Is
honest. and every assertion bears the
stamp of truth on its face. There will be
no dispute as to anything asserted in the
memorial, the only question that can
be raised being as to whether or not the
Territory is entitled to admission in the
light of the showing made. If the
spirit of fairness and justice is to gov
ern there will be no doubt as to the
answer to the appeal. Congress will
decide that Utah is worthy OF State
hood, and having shown her material
ability to maintain a State government
and declared her determination to
make that government conform not
only to the legal requirements of the
nation, but also to the public sentiment
of the country, should be admitted to
the Union and her people clothed with
the rights and privileges of American
citizenship. If prejudice and intoler-
ance shall not assert themselves and
control in the matter, the appeal for
Justice will be answered by favorable
response. The only opposition to the
granting of the petition that can be
raised, must be based on fanaticism and
intolerance, and denial of the request
cannot be regarded otherwise than as a
cruel, arbitrary and wicked exercise of
power. Some specially strong points
are made in the memorial. Zone Of these
is IN the showing that the legal voters
of the Territory are practically unani-
nous, not only in the desire for State
hood, but for Statehood under the con-
ditions tacitly. imposed by the
nation and openly accepted by
the people. 1t is shown that
only SOP men voted against the
Constitution, while Is 1876 voted in favor
of it. Assuredly the request of over SO
per cent. of the voters should prevail
against the opposition of less than 4
per cent.
A peculiarly strong point is made in
the following:
The people who have adopted and ratified |
this Constitution are lawoaOiding citizens of
the United States. They have not violated |
any law of Congress. The special provis |
ions they have framed in reference to prac- |
tees condemned by thes popular voice, |
were made in good faith and so worded that |
they are practically unrepealable. In these |
Congress has not imposed unusual require
ments upon new state, but the people have |
placed these restrictions upon themselves in |
order to meet prevailing objections and Sc
cure political harmony with the existing |
States In doing this they have but exer |
cised reserved and constitutional right |
If Utah shall be admitted into the Union, |
these restrictions will be strictly and fairly |
enforced.
It should occur TO reasonable men
that the force of this is overwhelming, |
as the proposition is unanswersble. |
The great majority of the voters of the
Territory, the men who have broken
no law and who have shown by
lives of respect for the statutes and
devotion to the country, ask that they
be not denied their rights because
others have done things offensive to the
popular sentiment and contrary to
Congressional law. These citizens have
not only obeyed the law in the past, but
promise to continue their obedience to
it, and their lives entitle their promise
to,respect and belief. If this vast ma
jority are to be denied citizenship and
deprived of their rights because of
the doings of very small minor
ity; if the many must be kept
out of the Union because the few have
broken law, the claim should not be
made that the goyernment is just.
But THE HERALD believes that Con-
gress will be more than ever disposed
to be fair to Utah. 1t will appreciate
the injustice, the cruelty of longer
keeping the Territory bound and
gagged, and will unite tn cords which
have prevented the progress apd
development so much desired by every
Dody.
The Convention has done excellent
work in this memorials as it did in
framing the ConstituAon. If success
does not follow its -rneritorious and
earnest efforts in behalf of liberty, it
will be because there is TO justice in
the American Congress.
THE COMMISSION REPORTS.